Gate operating mechanism



June 13, 1933. COLMAN GATE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed May 26, 1950 5Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR l guard 11 C0 Zm n.

ATTORNEYS June 13, 1933. H. D. COLMAN 1,913,976

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed May 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l W 00 O 8O 4 5 mp "a \l 2 w 1 r1, F/ M June 13, 1933. H. D. COLMAN 1,913,976

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM' Filed May 26, 1950 a she gcs-sneet s 45 J3 2Heward D.C0Zman ATTORNEY-5 Patented June 13, 1933 STATES PATENT OFFICEGATE OPERATING MECHANISM Application filed May 26, 1930. Serial No.455,712.

The invention pertains to closures arranged for actuation by amotor-driven power unit, and pertains more especlally to the operationof gates or the like which are used out of doors, and hence underconditions such that the operating mechanism must necessarily cope withadverse weather conditions.

One object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism forgates and the like which is effectually protected against such adverseweather conditions.

Another object is to provide a powerdriven operating mechanism of such acharacter as to operate efliciently over a long period of time withoutattention.

Afurther object is to provide a pract cal operating mechanism for a pairof swinging gates embodying individual operators for the respectivegates with a driving con,-

nection therebetween and a power unit capable of convenient associationwith either of said operators for the purpose of supplying motive forceto both of them.

Still another object is to provide an operating mechanism of the abovecharacter in which the connection between the individual operators islocated underground and in which provision is made for efiectuallubrication.

an enlarged scale through the base of one of the operators andillustrating its connection with the power unit and also its associationwith the connection between the tw operators. V

Fig. e is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately inthe plane of line 4 4.- of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view illustrating a detailof construction.

Fig. 6 is an end view illustrating more especially the power unitemployed, a portion of the enclosing casing being broken away toillustrate the construction of a housing which encloses the drivingconnection between the power unit and the operating mechanism proper.

7 is a plan view of the operator with the enclosing casing shown insection.

As herein shown the invention is applied to the operation of two gates 7and 7 swingably mounted on posts 8 and 8 defining an opening in a fenceor other enclosure. Usually the gates control passage over a drive- Wayleading through the opening, for use by motor vehicles, and theemployment of a power-driven operating mechanism for the gates isespecially advantageous where such mechanism is subject to control froma motor vehicle either by the manual operation of a control device suchas an electric switch, or by radio control as set forth in myPatent No.1,760,479, issuedMay 27,1930,

Individual operators 9 and 9 are provided for the respective gates,being located at opposite sides of the opening adjacent the posts 8 and8. The two operators are operatively connected as illustrated in brokenlines in Figs. 1 and 2, by a connection generally designated 10,extending across the driveway, and each operator has a suitableconnection generally designated 11 with its corresponding gate. A powerunit 12, located at either side of the driveway, has a connectiongenerally designated 13 with the common connecting means 10 extendingbetween the operators.

Each of the operators 9 comprises (Figs. 3 and 4) a base 14 in the formof a hollow casting with an opening at its upper side closed by a plate15. Cast integral withsaid plate 15 is a tubular standard 16 providingbearings 17 and 18 at upper and lower ends respectively, for a shaft 19.The upper end of the shaft projects above the bearing 17 and'has securedthereon a bushing 20 carrying the hub 21 of a crank arm' 22. The hub issuitably secured to the bushing in adjustable relation thereto, andoverlying the hub and the bushing is a cap plate 23 secured to thebushing. In securing the bushon the upper end of the shaft 19, a nut 24is applied thereto, a cavity 25 being formed between the bushing and thecap plate to accommodate the nut.

The crank arm 22 may be connected to the gate by suitable means such asa link 26 (Figs. 1 and 2), and this link is connected to the lowerportion of the gate some distance from its axis. Herein the link isshown connected to a diagonal bar 27 across the lower hinged corner ofthe gate.

he shaft 19 of each of said operators carries at its lower end withinthe base 14 a worm wheel 28 made rigid with the shaft in any preferredmanner, and this wheel is driven by means of a worm 29 on a shaft 30,which is horizontally disposed in approximately tangential relation tothe worm wheel 28.

To permit of the intermeshing of the worm and worm wheel, the base isconstructed to provide at one side a flat wall 31 centrally apertured toreceive a segment of the worm wheel, and the base has a removablesection in the form of a bearing bracket 82 for the shaft 30. Thebracket is bolted to said side wall 31 and the worm 29 is dis posedwithin a chamber between bearing members 33 and 34 of said bracket.

The shaft constitutes the common driving connection 10 between the twooperators 9 and 9, and therefore is made of a length such as to extendacross the driveway with the worms 29 of the individual operatorssecured near opposite ends of the shaft. To enclose the portion of theshaft between the operators, an elongated tubular housing is providedwhich is in the form of a pipe 35 having its opposite ends threaded intothe bearing members 83 of the two operators (Fig. 2).

The driving connection 10 between the operators is preferably disposedbeneath the surface of the driveway, and the operators are accordinglymounted in wells 36 provided at opposite sides of the driveway. Saidwells, which may conveniently be formed in concrete, are made of a depthto receive the bases of the operators so that the bearing brackets 32thereon and the tubular hous ing 35 extending between the brackets shallbe disposed a suitable distance below the surface of the ground. Plates37 rigidly secured at the bottoms of the wells 36, provide a convenientmountina for the bases of the operators, and in order to permit ofslieht circumferential movement of the bases in adjusting the worm andworm wheel drives, the bases are formed with radial arms 88 slotted toreceive fastening bolts 39 anchored in the plates 37.

The power operating unit 12 is located at one side of the driveway,herein adjacent the operator 9 at the left (Figs. 1 and 2), and ismounted on a suitable standard 40 (Fig. 6) carrying a removable casing41 within which the unit is enclosed. T he construction employed for theunit forms per so no part of the present invention but may be of thetype disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No.166,086, filed February 5, 1927.

Briefly stated the power unit comprises an electric motor 42 located atone side of a frame structure 43 and operating under a suitable controlmechanism to drive a shaft 44 successfully in opposite directions forthe purpose of effecting alternate opening and closing cycle i .heconnection 13 between the power unit and the two operators comprises inthe present instance a sprocket wheel 45 on the shaft 44 of the powerunit connected by a chain 46 with a sprocket 47 on the shaft 30. Thelatter has an extension 48 for this purpose (Fig. projecting from thehearing 34 of the bracket 32 of one of the operators, herein the lefthand operator. To enclose the extended end of the shaft a tubularhousing 49 is provided, which housing is in the form of a pipescrew-threaded at one end into the bearing 34, and at its other end to abearing member 50 through which the end of the shaft extension 48passes.

The bearing member 50 has a peripheral flange secured to the peripheraledge portion of an opening 51 in the lower end of an elongated housing52 for the chain 46. The shaft extension 48 carrying the sprocket 47terminates in the lower end of this housing which is inclined upwardlyabout the chain (Fig. 6). The housing is preferably cast in one piece,and to permit access to the lower end of the chain, the housing has anopening opposite the opening 51 which is closed by a cover plate 53. Theopposite end of the shaft 30, which in the present instance is connectedwith the operator 9 terminates in the bearing member 83 of thatoperator, the end of this member being closed by a plug 54 as shown inFig. 5.

It will be observed that the operators 9 and 9' together with theconnection 10 therebetween and the connection with the chain housing 52,are so constructed as to enclose completely the operating parts, and alljoints are made fluid tight through the use of suitable gaskets wherenecessary. Thus moisture is excluded and preferably the entire housingstructure, including the bases 15 and the standards 16 of the operators,

the bearing brackets 82, the tubular housings 85 and 49, and the lowerportion of the chain housing 52 may be filled with oil. This insures along life for the operating mechanism and avoids the necessity forfrequent attention for purposes of lubrication as would otherwise benecessary.

In order that the major portion of the chain housing 52 may thus befilled with oil and yet permit of convenient assembling of themechanism, the housing is made of substantial length so that its upperend may enter an opening in the bottom of the casing 41 of the powerunit 12, as shown in Fig. 6. Tosupport the housing in various positionsof adjustment relative to the standard 40 of the power unit, it has aflange 55 longitudinally slotted to receive clamping bolts 56. Thelatter are entered through slots 57 and 58 in the standard 40.

The upper end of the chain housing 52 is arranged to enter into thecasing 41 of the operating unit, through a suitable openmg in the bottomof an overhanging poition of the casing, and is thus protected by thecasing 41 against the entrance of moisture into the housing. lVithin thecasing 41 the housing is closed by a cap 59, which telescopes into thelower section and encloses the upper sprocket 45 on the driven shaft 44of the power unit. Preferably the cap is formed from two sheet metalsections 60 bolted together as at 61 (Fig. 6). A pair of clips 62, spotwelded onto the respective sections 60, are fastened by screws to theupper end of the chain housing 52, thereby securing the cap in positionin the housing. 7 It will be seen that I have provided an operatingmechanism which is especially adapted for application to the actuationof gates or other closures commonly necessitating the location of theoperator out of doors. By the arrangement provided the power unit mayreadily be placed at either side of the opening to be closed, and whereconditions permit the driving connection between the two operators maybe extended into an adjacent building containing the power unit.

I claim as my invention:

1. A power driven closure operating mechanism comprising, in combinationwith a pair of swingably mounted gates or the like, an operator for eachof said gates comprising a base, a standard rising from the base, ashaft mounted in said standard and having a crank arm at its upper end,means connecting the crank arms of the two operators to the respectivegates, an underground driving connection between the shafts of the twooperators, and a power driven actuating unit for applyinga motive forceto said driving connection.

2. An operating mechanism for a pair of swingably mounted gates or thelike comprising, in' combination, an operator for each of said gates,each comprising an upright shaft having a crank arm operativelyconnected with one of the gates, a horizontally disposed shaft extendingacross the opening to be closed by the gates and connected with each ofthe upright shafts, a power unit for actuating said horizontal shaft,and means forming an intercommunicating fluid-tight housing structureenclosing said upright shafts of the individual operators and saidhorizontal shaft.

8. An operating mechanism for a pair of swingably mounted gates or thelike com-' prising, in combination, a pair of operators one for each ofsaid gates and each comprising a standard having an upright shafttherein, crank arms connecting said shafts to their respective gates, ahorizontal actuating shaft for the operators connected to said uprightshafts respectively, and means coacting with said standards to providean intercommunicating fluid-tight housing structure for the uprightshafts and the horizontal actuating shaft.

4. An operating mechanism for a pair of swingably mounted gates or thelike comprising, in combination, a pair of operators one for each ofsaid gates and each comprising a standard having an upright shafttherein, crank arms connecting said shafts to their respective gates, ahorizontal actuating shaft for the operators connected to said uprightshafts respectively, means coacting with said standards to provide anintercommunicating fluid-tight housing structure for the upright shaftsand the HOl/VARD D. COLMAN.

